Show case



`1,693,980 C. W. GALE SHOW CASE Filed April 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IVN Dec. 4, 1928.

Dec. 4, 1928.

c. w. GAL:

SHOW CASE Filed April 2, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Dec. 4, 1928.

UNITED-Smy CLARENCE 'GALL 'or BEA'rRiCE, iviiiaimsirA.y

snow CASE.'

App-marina fried April sz, 1927.. 'serial No. 180,491.

This invention relates to certain improve'- position for display and removal offmerchanments in show eases; and thenature and objec-tsof the nized .and imderstootl-by those skilledin Vthe art in tlie light oi' the following explanation and detailed description of the accompaiiying drawings illustrating what I at present consider to be the preferred embodi- 4ments o-rmeclianical expressions of the vin'-v merchandise there-from bythe customer or ventionfrom among various other forms,fa'r rangements, `c'oinbiiations and constructions of which the invention is capable Within the spirit andthe scope thereof..

\ The invention deals *with those general types of show or display cases fior receiving and displaying merchandise While permitting inspection, selectionandv removalot the purcliaser, and is more-particularly directed to such shovv casesor display racks employed and utilized in. the holding and displayot printed cards, such vas `greeting cards,fo`r of pictures, printed matter and other'merchandise yof such like Ageneral characteristics, although the invention is ynot limited-to show cases ory racks for any particular ymerchandise, as vvill be readily apparent from tli'e hereinafter appearing explanation of the in-` vent-ion. i' f vWith those cles, which a large and 'varied stock rmust becarried to provide-the' desired Wide rai'ige of selection, it is necessary to display thearticles insucli a. manner that the vdifferent styles, designs, types, speciesetc.,

viewed by a purchaser ,orl customer. Such separatedisplay of 'a large and varied stock types of merchandise ori artiof articles requires and occupies large space able merhandise receiving vand displaying sections therein, so mounted and arranged as to permit ot any one sectionk beingnioved to invention 'will be readily recog` vofthe case.

are separately 'case partly in verticalsection.l

Another ob'ect-ot the invention. `resides ini.' i

Tas PATENT i` ori-*lc 'y the provision of a' sliovv or display vcase' inY i Whiclia seriescf verticallyv disposed longieml tudinally movable merchandise receiving and displaying sections-are mountedthereimwith the "case of a 'length less tha-nthe totalv length of the movable sections, `but at least equal4 a-nv section can be'moved independently of y to the'lengtli 'of two of the sections', so, that the others to position iordisplay and removal of articles therefrom through thefront ot; the inventi to pmi Another obj ect vide'the'movable sections of such a-case'vvith vertically adjustable shelves .to accommodate articles of varyingv sizes, and further to provide thesesjli'elves `with front article retaining Walls so that the lower endsor portions of the aticlesormerchandise on the shelves arevisible through'thesewalls.

. 'A `further object of the invention is -to provide a show or display.caseembodying the 4foregoing[general features and y cha-racteristics, which is of simpleI but efficient designV andY construction,-V durable in use; and of vunobjectionable. design` lending itself readily to installment andusein various surround'- such as greeting cards and suchllike, of ings.' y .i

Withthe foregoing general object-s,V and certain other objects and .result-slid View which will be: readily recognized from the following explanation, the invention consists in certain novel features in constructionA and in combinations and varrarrg'eV-mentsof parts?.

asv Will be more fully ,andparticularly re- I 'fer-red to-aiid specifiedy hereinafter.,-

Referring `to the accompanying drawings,

in which similar reference `cli'ara'cter's ,refer eral ligui'e's thereof--v Fig. l, is a view in .Fi-g. 2, is ya "longitudinal y taken on the` line 2-=2, ofFig.

Fig. 3 visl a view in end elevationl ,Figf is a view in front-elevatioh'of one of the shelves.

I to corresponding par-'ts' throughout thel sev# front elevation-of afsluiw 'or display case embodying'the principlesof p r the invention'. v f 100 horizontal vsection i Fig. 6, is a. detail fragmentary view of a sect-ion side member showing the shelf'receiving groovesf Figs. 7 and 8 are detail Views showing the arrangement of grooves in the sectionside pieces. n i i v i Fig. 9, is a fragmentary detail view show- Y `ing the rollerv and track mounting forthe sections. 1u

detail fragmentary view in of the adjustable Amounting of Fig. 10, is a front `elevation a shelf end in a section'side piece.`

fliggll.` is a sectional view on fthe "line ,casev having three movable article'f Fig. l2, is adetail View in` vertical transverse section through the lower endof a show case showingthearrangement of sections therein and the roller and" trackmounting therefor. f Y A possible form and embodiment of which the'inventionI is capable isshoWn inthe accompanying drawings and described here- With -purelyby Way of ,examplev andnot of limitation,` as providing a show or display displayingV sections, designed and arranged for receiving, and displaying greeting cards land like articles, for selectionand removal 'from the' sections by acustomer or purchaser. v'This embodiment of the invention designed for? use with greetingcards andlike articles, `Was-'selectedas an example of the invention ibecause t-he problems V,overcome and the disadvantages eliminated `'are encountered with such classes of articles ina high degree',.and hence such example serves "to more clearly Y illus` Y, trate and! bring forth' the principles and Vvari- Vous features'voffthej invention.` WVhile in the exampleihereof'ashovv c-asewith three sec-` -tions isshown, it is-,tobe understood" as WillV be evident that the .invention is innofvvay limited to Asuch number of sections, but any 'A [desired number can: be employed, `as Will be ber 16 mounted enbase ysides 12 and back Walll. 'Thecase' 110 is thus more fully'dealt with hereinafter; r *In the examples ofthe invention illustrated herewith, vt'heshoiv or display case includes f the frame,

cabinet 'or1 caseulO, formed "of the basellgside lWalls 12, top 14, andthe 'back :with a bottom noem` llextendingfbetween vv'all l5 closing the case,

formedfwith the entirely1 open front and is Y, mounted and d A supported on any suitableelemensuch for f example as a store counter, table `or the-like,

disposed in thedosired position in elevated 'position i with wthe. `open `front thereof readily accessible. f

d `In accordance -withthe invention, and `the particular ,example thereof disclosed herewith, a series ofsections or un1ts20 are mounted 1n thecase orcabinetlO, in verti-V j cally disposed positionzfor independent move- Y ment Vpast each other longitudinally of thecabinetffrom side to `side theieof, and inthe particular example hereof, these sections or slidinflr shelves "27 outwardlf 1s substantially equal toene-half the length of the cabinet-f Each section or unit 20 is formed and constructed of-a kframe embodying the bottom member 21, the vertically disposed side niiembers-22, and theupper or top member 23, assembledand suitably secured together to form the rigid frame. of each section or unit 20 is provided with a:

'rear or back wall 24 closing the rear of the units 20 are of the Vsame length, which length The rear frame, While the frontthereof remainsopen for access thereinto;Ql'heend or side members 22gof each section 20 Vareforfmed on the inner sides thereof v posed, transverse and parallel' grooves V25 1ith the horizontally-dief spaced-therealong from and between the ends the transverse grooves 25. l

Y, A series of shelves 27: havingftlie verti cally "disposed upwardly extending `rear flanges 2'7aand the relatively short upstanding front flangesv2-7, disposed longitudinal- `thereof, while-the forward inner edge of each I `side member `221-is formed Avvith thevertical groove 26 extending vertically ofthe member from end to end thereof and intersecting ly of the shelves buttermlnating short ofthe ends thereof, `are mounted in vertically spaced relationvbetween the side `memloersl 22 with `in the `transverse side members. .By v this arrangement the theends of the shelves disposed and received grooves 25of` theopposite shelvesV 27 can be adjustedvertieally tothe .ma be Yreadily underacross and over the grooves26and the ends'of d glass fronts28 andthe ends'offshelves'27 toi retain andlioldthe shelves with their glass n fronts in `moi'inted position. The' shelves 2'( -Aofasection `2() can be readilyadjusted as to position Vby removing retaining strips 29 and tion, andtheninserting the shelves in'itheV grom'es `2G' at the desiredpositions,` after whichfdretaining `strips,` 29 can befagain mounted in position. V -rlhemovablemounting of thesections or units20 `in case or cabinet 10,V is accomplished in this instance,v by4 dividing or forming parallel,` longitudinal guidevvays `alongthe bot` from the sed: Y

tomltjand top 14;'of the case-l0, infvertical d alinement, respectively, throughthe medium 1 of the parallel, spaced.guidestripsf 30 secured longitudinally on the bottomfl ivithin the cabinet between side walls 12, and the Vsimilar guide strips ,51 secured `Vto .the lower .case bottom 1:6, the tracks 32 rare mounted on .bottom '1.6 at the lower ends of the guideways Each section or unit 20,' is provided with .the

transverse lof the lower member i llcn the under' side thereof and supported and ]ournaled in suitable hangers 34, the lower mein- Vber 2l being grooved or slotted above the rollers .Je which extend upwardly thereinto and are received thereby, aswill be clear by reference to the accompanying drawings.

The shelved sections or units 20, so constructed and havingthe rollers 33 on the under or lower sides thereof, are each mounted with their lower sides in the guideways between guide strips 30 on the bottom 16 of the f case, respectively, movably supported on rollers 33 upon the tracks 32, and with their upper sides or members 23 slidably disposed and confined in the guideways between the upper guide strips 31, respectively. manner, the sections or units 20 are mounted vertically disposed and confined in the cabinet or case 10 in parallel relation, and independently slidable or movable o'n tracks 32 longitudinally of the-case, back and'forth between the opposite end or side walls 22 thereof. Due to the length of the case with respect to the length of each section, thatis in this particular example twice the length of a section, it follows that any two of sections 2O can be moved in opposite directions to position fully exposed across and through the open forward side of the cabinet, the third section being disposed back of the exposed extended sections.

Now, with the show case'installedin position, and the `shelves 27 in the-desired adjusted positions in thesectionsQO, the articles to be d splayed, such as the greeting or the."

like cards Cindicat-ed in Fig. '1 of the drawings, are arranged on these shelves supported thereby vbetween the rear flanges 27 and the'y glass fronts 28 thereof, with the lower sup.- ported ends of they cardsvisible through the glass fronts and when vexposed by the positioiiing of the sections, accessible for reinovi al through the open fronts of the sections and the case or cabinet l0. lVith the desired stock of cards C distributed and arranged between and lon the movable sections or unitsk Q0, when a customer desires to inspect the cards and make his selections therefrom, two of the sections 20, say forexample the outer and intermediate sections, are movedin opposite directions toward the opposite ends of the case to fully exposed position, with the inner section covered by these sections., After inspection of the exposed sections, either one of them cany be moved toposition back, or in the ,sections with .the .articles spaced, grooved rollers 33 mounted on axes .fnl-.ier .erlaclcs In thistwo sections, an

y broadest manner thereof can ,he inspected. The cer-ds 1C, .er

Cabinet and the epee rents 0f the Seite@ for removal, so that customers or purchasers can readily inspect the articles, make their selections, and serve themselves. i

The display or show case of theV form shown herewith having materially reducing the required space'for displaying the cards or articles in the sections, by making the case or cabinet one-third less length than necessary for the sections if placed and miunted end to' end. The saving in space can be further greatly increased if desired, by providing the closed back 15 of the case with display shelves (not shown) similar to the arrangement of section shelves 27,

as will be clear by referenceto the drawings from the foregoing explanation and the invention contemplates and includes. such arrangement.. Furtlier, any number of sections can be employed, and as examples of arrangements of the invention employing` more than the three sections here shown for purposes of explanation, the following are referred to. A showor display case of the invention if built six feet long with ten movable sections, and the rear fixed display shelving, will provide for thirty-sixfeet of wall or show case space, as with the fixed back shelving equal to d the ten movable sections, there willbe a tot-al of twelve sections,`or thirty-six feet of wall Vspace or show case "Thus, .by tts/bidding elf-mmfoiithegshelves of ,the sections are l accessible through l the' open frontehe 'front of ,the .other as the casev may be, vamltli .on the shelves three. sections, permits of Yicol length. Again, a case of theinvention can be designed so that two sets of sections can be set up and mounted in a case of only three times'the length of one section, to thereby double the vdisplay room by only adding fifty percent to the length of the case. The prinvciplesand features ofthe invent-ion can be set forth in a variety of designs and arrange-- vments, and the invention contemplates and"` includes suchf other arrangements.

YIt -is also evident lthat various other changes, modifications, variations and substitutions might be resortedv to without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, and

hence I do not desire to rlimit myself to the exact and specificdisclosures hereof.

Desiring to protect my invention inthe legally possible, what I claim ist,l l

1. The Vcombination in a sho-w case having permanently closed ends and an open front, of a series of Amore 'than-two relatively'narrow vertically disposed merchandise receiviso ing and displaying sections therein; 4each of `saldsections provided'with vertically spaced horizontal shelves, and means whereby each of said sections may be shifted lengthwise the interior of saidcase, the combinedlength of any two of said sections being substantially equaltov the interior length of said case.-A 2. Thecombination inV a show case having permanently closed ends and an open front, of a series of more than two relatively narrow .vertically disposed merchandise receiving and "displaying sections, each `of said sections pro- `vided With Y' vertically spacedv horizont-al shelves, and tracks in the case onwhich said lsections are Inovably mounted whereby each 15 s section may be shifted lengthwise oit-the in-fV Y terior of' the caselindependently of the other sections, the coibined length of any twoof Vsaidsection's being substantially equalto the interior lengt-h of said case. i

' Signed `at Beat-rice; county of Gage, State 

